Drop front for carriages



P 1941; v w. c. TROENDL E 2,256,730

' DROP FRONT FOR CARRIAGES Filed Aug. 29, 1940 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l J e! .22 A v 52 10 42 Z6 cgaini/e p 23, 1941. w. c. TROE DLE 2,256,730

I .DROP FRONT FOR CARRIAGES Filed Aug. 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wglgaemfg v I'M/F7749;

Patented Sept. 23, 1941 nnor mom: FOR censuses William C. Troendle, Gardner, Mass, assignor to Thayer Company, Gardner, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 29, 1940, Serial No. 354,735

13 Claims.

This invention relates to carriages for infants, and more particularly to drop fronts for the same.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a new and improved mechanism for the support ofthe drop front for an infants carriage; the provision of an easily accessible and operated catch and control for the support of the drop front in raised position; the provision of a catch operator for the drop front which is arranged so as to be grasped from the front of the carriage and manipulated to raise or lower the drop front with one hand only, leaving the other hand free to steady the carriage or an infant therein; and the provision of a catch and control for the support of a carriage drop front which is essentially simple in nature, inexpensive to manufacture and sure in operation and in its supporting function.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of a carriage embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the drop front support and its catch, looking in the direction of arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the drop front of a carriage, looking in the direction of arrow 3 in Fig. 2, and showing the drop front in raised and latched position;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3, with the drop front lowered;

Fig. 5 is a detailview in side elevation showing the catch in unlatched condition;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing the parts latched; and

Fig. 7 is a front viewof the latch plate, looking in the directionof arrow 1 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 1 shows an infants carriage Ill supported on a frame l2, in turn supported on wheels [4. The carriage may be equipped with an adjustable hood l6 and a handle l8 formed as a rigid extension of a frame member 20. The front 22 of' the carriage is arranged to drop, as shown in Fig. 4, to convert the carriage into a stroller, so that the infant may sit up, with his feet in the lowered drop front. The frame 12, on both sides of the carriage, is connected at its top by rigid bars 24 which are secured at their ends to the members 29, as at 26, and the drop front 22 is supported on these bars.

A relatively large U-shaped frame member 28 is pivotally connected at the ends of each of its legs to the rigid bar 24, as by pins 39, The covering for the carriage may be hemmed or looped over the member 28 so as to be supported thereon, as shown, and it will be clear that with the member 28 in aligned position with bars 24, the drop front is raised to complete the conventional carriage, but with the member 28 downwardly pivoted about pins 30, the drop front is down and the carriage may be used as a stroller.v Reference character 32 indicates adjusting brackets for the hood, which are. also mounted on bars 24.

Referring tov Fig. 2, it will be seen that bars .24 are inclined sharply outwardly at 34, mid-way between the pivot attachment for the U-shaped frame member 28 and the connection to members 20. These inclines or bends provide for a space between each leg of the member '28, and each bar 24, and each of these spaces is utilized to receive a catch arrangement to hold the drop front in raised condition. The catches are placed on the outside of the legs of frame 28v so. that the occupant of the carriage is always protected from them, and when the drop front is raised, bars 24 conceal a large part of the catches. Hence it will be seenthat the catches arelocated between the legs of frame 28 and bars 24, and as there is a catch at each side of the carriage, the drop front. will be securelyand sturdily held in its raised position.

Each catch comprises a plate 36 acting as a backer or base plate for a bracket 38, the plate and bracket being riveted to bar 24. The bracket 38 .has a pair of out-turned ears 4!) at its ends, and these ears are provided with alignedapertures for the sliding reception of a rod 42. This rod is bent in the shape of a U to correspond with frame 28, and there is a handle portion 44 on the rod, which is located at the center of the carriage for easy access by one manipulating-the same by handle it. A member 46 is secured to the rod betweenears 49 to act as a stop for a washer 43, the latter being subject to the-action of compression spring 50 at all times. The forward ear 40 acts as a stop for the. other end of the spring. Rod 42 extends directly thru. the spring 50 and this provides for a very compact structure. Also, the springs 50 (one for each bracket) will be seen to insure that the handle area of the rod 42 will always hug the frame 28, except when manually forced outwardly in the direction of the arrows A in Figs. 2 and 4.

Between connection 26 and bend 34, each bar 24 is provided with a right angled bracket 52 having a rearwardly inclined cam surface 54 at its lower. edge, and a punched aperture 56 adjacent its center portion. The punched material forms a top stop 58 which extends horizontally forwardly, and the aperture 56 is arranged to align with rod 42 when the drop front 22 is raised.

In the operation of the device, if the drop front is in raised and latched condition, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, it is necessary only to grasp the handle 44 with one hand and pull it forwardly in the direction of arrows A just enough to release the ends of rod 2 from the bracket 52. The drop front will then fall of its own weight about pivots 30 to lowered position as shown in Fig. 4. If desired, a stop 60' on the inside of frame members 20 may be used to locate the drop front in lowered position. V i

When it is desired to raise the drop front, the handle 44 is again grasped by one hand and pulled upwardly so that the frame 28 and asso ciated parts will pivot in the direction of arrows B in Figs..4 and 5. The ends of rods 42 will engage the inclined cams 54 and ride along the same tojbe j forced forwardly of the carriage against. thelaction ofspring 59. When in raised position; the" rod ends will strikestops 58 and thus being correctly located, they will enter apertures 56 ,underpressure of springsSB, as showninFigs. 2 and. 6.. Sincethepivot points 30 'andbrackets 52 provide apair of holding means foreach leg of frame .28, it will be clear that the drop frontcannot belowered except .by a forward pull on the rod 42 against the action of springs 50.

Having ,thusdescribed'. my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than 1 as set,v forth in the claims, but what I claim is: 1;,In a drop front fora carriage, a support comprising a.pair of.ge nerally parallel bars, a substantially, U-shaped frame, apivot connec tion adjacent the end'of each leg of the frame, tofa corresponding bar, means mounted on said frame to latchsaid frame and support at each leg of theframe, and a single handleelement for both said latching means, said handle being in the genera'l'shape of a U. to. correspond with said frame and being generally coextensive therewith, said handle being slidable in the .generalplane of said ,U-shaped frame between latching and unlatching positions and pivotable therewith.

2. In a drop front fora carriage, a support pivotedgatits ends to said bars, inwardly from the erlds of the latter, .a movable. latch rod on each "leg pf said drop front frame pivotable therewith, means on each corresponding baroutwardly of the pivot to receive a rod, means adapt-, ed to urge said rods to latched condition, and a single means tosimultaneously release said rods.

4, A dropyfrontgfor'a carriage as recited in claim 3, wherein saidurging means comprises a spring constantlyurging each said latch rod to engagement with said rod receiving means, said latch rods extending towards the front of said carriage and forming a unitary handle by which they may be released simultaneously from said means.

5. In a drop front for a carriage, a pair of spaced bars, a U-shaped drop front frame, a connection between each leg of the frame and a bar, each bar being spaced from its corresponding leg, a latch rod on each leg, and a latch rod receiving means on each bar, said rods and means being cooperatively located in the spaces between corresponding bars and legs, said latch rods being in the form of a U conforming to apertured bracket on each member to receive the ends of the rod to thereby latch said frame to said support.

8. A drop front for a carriage as recited in claim 7 wherein a central portion of said rod forms a handle.

9. A drop front for a carriage as recited in claim '7, including spring means to urge said rod towards said brackets. v Q

10. In a drop front for a carriage, a top frame including a pair of spaced bars, a U-shaped drop front frame pivoted to said bars by its legs, a bracket on each bar, each bracket comprising a plate, an aperture in the plate, and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined surfacebelow said aperture, a U-shaped rod mounted for sliding movement on said drop front frame, spring means to urge said rod toward said brackets so that the ends of the rod will be received in said apertures, the bottom of th U of said rod forming a handle for retracting the rod from said brackets, and said surfaces forming a guide means for the rod ends when said drop front frame is pivoted with relation to said top frame.

11.A drop front for a carriage asrecited in claim 10, including a stop for said rod ends 10-. cated above the aperture in each bracket.

12. A carriage comprising a pair of crossed side-supporting elements, a bar securednear. the tops of each crossed element, a U-shaped frame, a pivot connection adjacent the end of each leg of said frame, a U-shaped rod mounted for sliding movement on said frame but being pivotal therewith, and following the contours thereof, an apertured bracket on each bar, spring means constantly urging said rod in a direction so that its ends will enter said apertures when said frame is aligned with said bars, the U portion of said rod forming a handle by which said rod may be retracted to release its ends from said apertures. v

13. In a carriage, a pair of relatively fixed supporting bars, a drop front frame pivoted to said bars, a U-shaped rod embracing a portion of said frame and mounted to slide thereon but being pivotable therewith, an apertured bracket on each bar for reception of the ends of said rod, and spring means normally urging said rod toward said brackets.

WILLIAM C. TROE NDLE. 

